Prepayment gas-meter.



N. n. NlLSON.

PREPAYMENT GAS METER.

APPLICATION HLED FEB, 28'. 1916.

Patented July3L1917.

II Z fnven/or:

/V// David M'Lnm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

mLs DAVID NILsoN, or STOCKHOLM, swnnnn.

raErAYMENr GAS-METER.

25, 1916. Serial No. 80,814.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NILS DAVID NIL-SON, a subject of the Kin of Sweden residing at Stockholm, in the kingdom of weden, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Prepayment Gas-Meters, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division from my copending application Serial No. 808167, filed on December 22, 1913.

My present invention'refers to a prepay ment gas meter and has for its ob'ect to provide simple and effective means or moving a member of the gas valve operating mecha nism in one direction according to the number of coins deposited in a coin controlled apparatus cooperating with the same, and for gradually retrieving the said member as the gasis consumed.

The invention is broadly characterized by thisthat a, gear receiving intermittent ro- -tary.motion in one directlon from the. coin controlled apparatus, is formed as a nut for aserew journaled in a frame havmg an operative connection with the gas valve. On

the said screw a worm-wheel is slidingly but not rotatably mounted, which worm-wheel casing 1.

engages with a worm driven from .a shaft of the main gas meter.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one form of the invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the appsratus, a portion of the cover being removed.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side view.

Fig. 3 is a top view of a horizontalsection.

and a portion of the gearing viewed from above. a

- All arts of the apparatus with the exception 0 the valve for the opening and closing of the gas-piping are arranged within the The gas valve 2 is located in a box-like section 3 at the rca r of the casing, mto wlnch section the main-pipe 4 opens and from.

which the pipe 5 leads to the main gasmeter, said pipe. bclng conlroll'cd by means of theralvc 2. The drlvmg mmrhanlsm of the main ,Q'flS lllllll is connected to the shaft 6 (Fig. 3). which in horcilnzftcr described manner is gcarcd to tho mechanism of the prepayment mcter.

Tho coin controlled mechanism for operelosing the gas valve 2 may suitably Fig. 4 shows the coin controlled apparatus ating the meter mechanism for openin and of the construction described and claimed in my co-pending U. S. Patent Application Sej rial N 0. 808,167, and which consists, mainly, of a cylindrical drum 7 adapted to turn by means of a pivot 8 in a stationary bottom plate 9 and provided with a cover or cross-- plece 9 to which is secured the spindle 10,

which estends through the casing 1 and on the pro ecting part carries a handle 11 of suitable shape b means of which thedrum 7 may be-turne To the under side of the cover or cross-piece 9 is ivoted one endof a lever 12, the other en of which is vided with a finger 13 which re ects through a slot 14 in' the drum.- W en the drum is in normal position as shown in Figs.

1, 2, and 3 the slot. 14 will be right oppos a similarly shaped slot 15 in the front side of the casing 1. The coin 16 can now be introduced mto the drum from outside through both openings. Whenthe drum'is turned b means of .the handl'e'll, the coin IS brou t along and remains standing on edge. n the pathv which the coin has to pass during the turning of the drum, are coated two arc-shaped and concentric ribs or guides 20projectin .from the bottom 9, Which increase in heig t from .the starting position ofthe coin, as shown in Fig.2, unto a radial lot 21 in the bottom 9. As the coin is in night along at the mo'vement of the drum 7, 1t slides on the two ribs 20, and is in this manner elevated as the ribs increase in height, and consequentl the end of the lever 12 provided with the 'nger 13 isjraised. The finger 13 is thereby brought in such position that during the last period of the turning of the drum it will engage with and turn an intermittent gear-22, of the shape shown in Fig. 4. This intermittent geal" Specification 01 r I Q E- Patented July 31., 1917. Original-application fi led December 22, 1918, Serial No. 808,167. 'Dividedand this application filed February :nnsm is arranged in the following manner;

The main part consists of a screw 23, the ends nl' winch are pivoted in a frame 24. From this latter extends a rigidly, secured arm 25 Willl'il slides up and down on a fixed gulde 26, and a rack 27 meshing with a pin- 'oe...-. f lon sumu to t n s in t of an index hand 25). The huh 2;! of the above mentioned intcrmitlrnl gear 212 is shaped as a nut, fitting gea i- 22Ione step, theg'ear, which also serves i force the screw to turn, on account of the near its lowerln into the main g' supported from a fixed bracket 30 (Fig. 2), and has above it a worm -wheel 31.

,This latter wheel which is supported from above by means of another bracket '32 (Figs.

1 and 2), does not mesh with the threads of the sgrrewflli, butgthe screw can slide-longs tiidihally throngh the worm-wheel 3 1. When-rotating," however, this wheel will screw being faced ofl" on two sides and insorted inacorrespon'ding1y shaped opening as i ii-t for-the scre'wf23, will raise the screw upward- ;a corresponding (distance: "The fra'ijine' 24, connected tofjthe' screvflis earried a lon' xstassnnjiingt-hat the frame infer t" e andfby means or the-slot 7"it: Liftthe stud 38, so that the er'ank 39 is turned-and the gas-valve 2 The gas comib'gfrom the niainpipe 4, anilstreaming through the box-like section"3' wil-l. '-theri escape through the pip'e'5 meter; the; driving 'nechasni'ittmlfto' the worm 33g, ythieh lih ve the worln wheel 31,. The s'i-rew E23v is then; tn rn or] in the now. stationary nut 22..- ofthe int'm mittent gear'22. slu-m'ir'in Fig; 4, the interniittei'it gear is diyiiled-i'ntofolir sections, each section pronism of whichis then' put. into operation, Thefshztf lyrturned and t e moverorres mniis to the outside'of tbo'ihlnn 7. "As

longirs 'thij intermittentgear innd th c' drum u rein; the; positioi i indie 1 hi1 Fig. '4, the gear cannot turn, but iis looked, as

- \ri-H as the mechanism eonneet'otl to the. gear.

()n the other hand, when thehngmh lfi' has m neinto ,engagement with the Wheel, Said \vlii-oi is'able to turn as' tb'e teeth of the wheel run-now sw'ingin a recess 48, int-under] III the mn'ul' one! ss-piece 9 "-l.he,gr:|r iiig 13.4% ii rrnngiwlfthnt as the heron" is 'beir ig lowered by "the :llpove ngantionoil turning of the worm-wheel 3i, tiii ff nn e 24. connected to ilii-Ysoren', is lowered iinii returns, 'by means nfthoslot 37 and the stl'i'ii 38,;tho crank 39,

so tini'tf'tbo valve il; again ingenious. viosml. [hiring-dine; time. h'o'ivr'ver. :Vgu's quantity ('orrrw'mi'uiin'gto'u roinhas been (-onsummi.

' In orrli-r rigidly to secure the intermittent a on'gside thejsaine.

gear in case that the is without the lever 12 being raised, there is secured close to the gear asp'ring 41, which is in engagement with one of the arched'recesss in thefigear.

, hen the revolving of the drig m 7,--und the turning of the 1ntermittentgear'22 one comeright over' the slot 21 in the bottom plate 9 and falls through the slot .down in is thenlowere andthe 'fihger13 releasesjthe intermittent gear, whereby the" driim 7 canbeturned back .to its-Q ormal position,' said returning being erform'ed immediately after thetiirni o the drum with the coin is com leted. desired another coin: cah instant y be inserted and the drniri' cirn -be turned againywhereb the gas-valve 2 is opened one step furt er. Repeated introduction ofcoins can take place three times in'sucoession andthe gas valve "is-opened each time one step, until at the third time it "hits the stop 43; Consequently it'does not tiirn further on repeated insertion .of coins, The frame 24, which by I'n'eansof the rack 27 aetuat'es theindicatihgfdevice-"as the-coins are introduced, can nevertheless 'mo'vefur ther upward, as the studB-S on tliefcjra ikfii);

aftr'thesaid third movement; has come out of; the recess 37" in'v the frame, land: restirig a" in'stthe' side "offthe fra ne anjd"sl iding ,1 a m v 1. In af repayment gas'mter; eo'in bination o' a gear receiving intermittentm motion in one directioii, a fr'nihein o able in the axial direc'tioifi of siiiiiiiwi a screw threaded into said gear i-ndiiotatably jou'rnaled in the frame, int-ans'fbrigniding step" has been performed; the" eoinlfiha 's .the underlyin coin-box F121 Thelever 12 its the movement of the franie in the'Iongitiigli nal directior'rof the screw iunlfo'rjinig ing" the frame from turning WithftIn a gas valve, and means for eoinieeting frame with said gas valve,substantially as and for the purpose set forth. l u

In aprepayment gas meter,the eiiinf bination of'a gear receiv'ing in'lvi'n'iith-ntfrotary motion in one diretiinn, :ri'mnio inorable'in the axial d'ireiition ot' suid 'go screw tl 'eiuieiiiiitol l geiirInmii i'itn tnbiy l'ollrnaied in the 'i'riiIine, nrenns'for{Iiiidiii the movement of the franu-h-in the liii'igi tudinal direction oi'the screw :i|| i' i'o|" Brescrew, a gas Vilil't', a "shaft i'or said rhivc, a crank on sniltslmi't engaging-film frame and adapted in be broi ght Uni. of" engagement with the Said irnm e when the ii'o lnis imth opt'hi-ii lo 3. in. H pi'v m \'|nvn gas motor, the (Uni-- bination of a gear rrrenjln'u ln'ieriinltoiiiziii tmy motion in UIH' (iHH'iHlli. a rm. movable in the axial rlirm'linn of said gear, a,

,z "i'ie'w tin readied into said gum.- unii mlmtnhly an. index hand, :i shaft for said hand, and a iiirimlizssil in. the frame, means for guiding pinion 0n said shaft i'neshing with the rack,

mm H, ii." (3f tvlm 1511mm in the" iongihudi- 01; indir snting the position 011' the frame and 10 1011' of, the screw and for IMUVUlltthus the iiui'iuimi; of opening of the gas valve 1.; the :fmnm frun'i tini'iiiilg with the screw, and the: gas p n-chased, sulg stantially as and v valve ntmans :fm' cmijnemzing said firming for tha purpose set forth. 1; ith biiid valve, :i i'iwk secured to said fi'm'ne, N ILS DAVID NILbON. 

